[Ali-MAc]

Is there anything to be done to help keep ticks off my dog?

We trained up at Lee Kay yesterday and I have had to take 5 ticks off her since.

I have been applying tick and flea drops (active ingredient Phenothrin 85%) so am frustrated the ticks still seem to be biting.

Any advice on if it is possible to prevent ticks or is it just a price to be paid?

 

[Utmuddguy]

Bad time of year for lee Kay I train out there 5 days a week in the winter and spring but steer clear this time of year the ticks are safe compared to the fox tail and grasses I don't like big vet bills for embedded fox tail and things stuck in the eye. The tuck stuff you are applying will kill the ticks but not stop them from biting.

 

[Finnegan]

I took my Doxey out to Lee Kay last week - 14 ticks on her and 3 on me. Things creep me out and every time I pull one it's like tossing the dice. Hard to find the little s.o.b.'s on a setter until they bloat.

Neighbor (retired vet) says a bath in epsom salts and hydrogen peroxide will make them fall off, but I think he's full of beans.

 

[Packfish]

The Gentlemen in the east and Midwest that have an amazing amt of ticks sure like Seresto Flea & Tick collar made by Bayer , I don't seem to see many ticks in the Logan area but I use the purple cattle tags- cut them in thirds- put them on a small clip so I take them on and off. I clip one to each one of my boots also- Haven't seen a tick in 4 years now.

 

[LostLouisianian]

Down south when we still lived there ticks were just a way of life. I never found a single thing that kept the ticks off and we just had to dip the dogs when the ticks got too bad. I won't even go into some of the dogs I saw and the amount of ticks on them but the dip did do an amazing job of killing the ticks. Usually once a week I would take the hounds and pull the ticks off of them that I found. I just put about 6 ounces of alcohol in a quart jar and would pull the ticks off and drop them in the alcohol. Hence the Brad Paisley song...check you for ticks.

 

[Critter]

While it isn't going to help your dogs any for the humans that don't like ticks or other bugs you can try some Permethrin on your clothes. On my recent trip to South Africa I sprayed it on all of my clothing that I planed on hunting in and didn't see a bug on me. Even when we went into a area that was infested with small pepper ticks that night when I did my tick inspection there were none. The one hunter with us that didn't use any had those pepper ticks all over his body. One application will last 4-6 washings.

You can get it at Walmart, or Cabela's.

 

[Packfish]

Yes the permethrin you can get from Cal Ranch or somewhere like that in a concentrate cheap and make your own solution. All my back packing gear is sprayed with this. actually spray my goats I back pack witj.

 

[polarbear]

Growing up in Arkansas, I've taken a lot of Clorox baths. Sometimes you step in a nest, look down, and your whole leg is black with baby ticks. Straight to the bathtub with a generous solution of bleach and water.

 

[Catherder]

There was a veterinary study done several years ago, comparing the efficacy of topical tick preventatives (drops, including both OTC and vet available only brands) versus amitraz tick collars. The results showed that the amitraz tick collars worked far better and it wasn't even close. The study was done prior to Seresto collars entering the market, but these also seem to work very well, comparable to amitraz.


Bottom line, if your hunting activities are exposing your dog to a lot of ticks, go with an amitraz or Seresto brand collar for best results.